I Never Would Have Tried Linux If

That is your space. You know better if it is a waste or not.

I think so too. Some of my colleagues didnt find much help here and I see more Microsoft-Windows than Linux at times. I like this group because once in a while I get to learn something significant. But again thats true with all information - there is 80% crap and 20% so-so; Of that 20%, select what is helpful to you. New linux users (colleagues and few others) around me are not finding this group much useful and they dont come back again - Linux is not on their machine anymore; if it is, it hasnt been updated since FC2.

So if you have been using Linux since quite some time, why dont you advocate Linux?

There is advocacy and yes, there are topics that deviate wildly resulting in little useful content for new comers willing to try Linux. I could say that if I had been here before I started to work on Linux, I might have not tried it yet. I started to work on Linux because I was sick of a colleague continually bashing Windows and Mac. Apparently, I am now of an opinion that for general users any developed OS is fine. For me, give me any OS and I will try to make the best out of it. Linux is a better OS than Windows in may ways but it cannot replace my Windows OS and neither can Windows replace my Linux development. The funny part is, my colleague bashing Windows didnt know Windows much. In one topic an advocate claims something cannot be done on Windows, fine. Next posting someone writes Linux is not Windows. Duh! Well, of course, and thats why some things cannot be done in one but can be done on the other. Having worked on both Windows and Linux, I find it easier to explain new Linux users where difference are and how to use both systems effectively. Just today, a floppy disk was showing 9.2GB free space to a user and a few seconds later 135 kb free under FC5. The floppy was formatted in FC5 a few minutes ago. lol. User stood up and worked on an Windows machine that didnt complain. That doesnt make Linux weak, but there are certain things that do not cause trouble in one system but could cause pain in the other.

I only wish that Microsoft was talked less about here.

Yeah, thats funny how some Linux users cant spell Microsoft correctly ;) As many as there are distributions of Linux, there are nicknames of Microsoft. The problem is, they are infact talking about Windows OS. I'd rather advocate how-why Linux helped me in doing certain tasks that took longer on other OSes. To tell you the fact, my Windows and Linux systems dont crash as much-at all. Both are pretty stable and problems do come too, but are solved within minutes most times.

Couldnt agree more. Seen people not accepting Linux after visiting this advocacy group.

I think advocacy is a good group if used the right way. If Microsoft postings are taken off, 40-50% posts would be reduced and users could find answers pretty well. Postings like `man ls` arent much help. It seems more like someone getting an answer to "How do I use findstr command under Windows?" as "help findstr". Its better to show the guy an example if one knows it so that not only that fellow, but others could also find an answer to that question.

With a little more improvement, this group can attract some potential Linux users.

Chirag Shukla.